KL Rahul, India’s vice-captain and opener Mayank Agarwal joined the Team India camp in Ahmedabad on Monday, a few days ahead of the 2nd ODI against the West Indies. Meanwhile, pacer Navdeep Saini, who was in isolation after contracting Covid-19, is also back with the team. While KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal joined the India camp after missing the first ODI, Navdeep Saini, who tested positive for Covid-19, also trained in Ahmedabad on Monday.
KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Navdeep Saini were seen training at the Narendra Modi Stadium as India began preparation for the 2nd ODI, which will be played on Wednesday-9th February. Ideally, KL Rahul should be playing at number five, where he had a lot of success in the past.
KL Rahul Missed The 1st ODI Due To Personal Reason, Mayank Agarwal Was Still In Quarantine While Backup Pacer Navdeep Saini Was Covid-19 Positive
Notably, KL Rahul had missed the first ODI due to personal reasons. Mayank Agarwal was not part of the squad for the 1st ODI as he was still completing his quarantine after having been added to the squad last week following Covid-19 cases in the Indian camp.
Notably, the trio of Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shreyas Iyer along with 4 members of the support staff and backup player Navdeep Saini tested positive for Covid-19 upon their arrival in Ahmedabad. The BCCI said all 8 members of the team entered isolation and were monitored by the BCCI medical team.
The rest of the team trained and took the field during the first ODI after returning negative RT-PCR tests last week. The BCCI selection committee also added Ishan Kishan and Shahrukh Khan to the squad for the first ODI against the West Indies on Sunday.
There is a possibility that Mayank Agarwal would open the batting with skipper Rohit Sharma on Wednesday-9th February. In the opening game, Rohit Sharma had opened with Ishan Kishan, who exactly isn’t a regular opener, but the Jharkhand dasher did a decent job, scoring 28 runs in an 84-run stand with his skipper.
Yuzvendra Chahal Picked 4 Scalps While Washington Sundar Picked 3 Scalps To Restrict West Indies To 176
Notably, Ishan Kishan opened the batting with captain Rohit Sharma as India successfully gunned down a target of 177 in what was their 1000th ODI. Rohit Sharma, who returned from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the tour of South Africa, led from the front with the bat with an outstanding 51-ball 60 while Suryakumar Yadav and debutant Deepak Hooda came up with crucial contributions after India suffered a middle-order wobble.
Earlier on Sunday, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar picked up 7 wickets between them as West Indies were bundled out for 176 despite Jason Holder hitting a fifty.
Rohit Sharma’s captaincy was spot on in the first ODI after electing to the bowl and scuttling out the Windies for just 176. Pacers Mohammed Siraj (1/26) and Prasidh Krishna (2/29) chipped in with handy breakthroughs but it was the spinners Washington Sundar (3/30) and Yuzvendra Chahal (4/49) who wreaked havoc.
The Indian opening pair of Rohit Sharma (60) and Ishan Kishan (28) then provided a solid base and the win was sealed by a composed 62-run unbeaten partnership for the 5th wicket between Suryakumar Yadav (34*) and debutant Deepak Hooda (26*). India got their three-match ODI series against the West Indies off to a perfect start with a dominant 6-wicket victory with 22 overs to spare.
Brief Score: West Indies: 176 in 43.5 overs (Jason Holder 57, Yuzvendra Chahal 4/49, Washington Sundar 3/30, Prasidh Krishna 2/29). India: 178 for 4 in 28 overs (Rohit Sharma 60; Alzarri Joseph 2/45).